Vogue Boss Sounds Alarm On Fashion’s Shift Back To Ultra-Thin Models

Chioma Nnadi call's for lasting body diversity in fashion.

Jesse

• Published in News
• November 19, 2024

For years, the fashion industry has grappled with its influence on body image, and for a while, it seemed like progress was being made. Runways began featuring a spectrum of sizes, campaigns celebrated diversity, and "skinny" was no longer the sole definition of beauty.

But in recent months, a troubling shift has emerged: a return to an era where thinness reigns supreme.

Chioma Nnadi, editorial director of British Vogue, has voiced her concerns over this disturbing trend. Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Nnadi attributed part of the resurgence to the growing popularity of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic.

“We’re in this moment where the pendulum is swinging back to skinny being ‘in,’” she explained. “Often, these things are treated like a trend, and we don’t want them to be.”

Her words ring with urgency. For many, the shift feels like a betrayal. The body positivity movement offered hope for those who never saw themselves on glossy pages or on catwalks. Now, the industry’s flirtation with old ideals threatens to unravel years of progress.

But this isn’t just about fashion; it’s about how we see ourselves and others. When a single body type becomes aspirational, it creates ripple effects—eroding self-esteem, fostering disordered eating, and perpetuating the idea that beauty is conditional.

Nnadi’s plea is clear; she wants a world where we reject the notion that bodies are trends. Beauty isn’t cyclical; it’s universal. And while the industry might dictate styles and silhouettes, it doesn’t have to dictate our self-worth.

Change begins when we demand better—not just from fashion but from ourselves.

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Meet the delectable Chioma Nnadi. She's the First black woman to lead British Vogue

When presenter Emma Barnett pressed Chioma Nnadi on what might be driving this unsettling trend, Nnadi was careful not to oversimplify. "I don't think we can pin it on any one thing," she noted thoughtfully.

However, she acknowledged a significant factor in the cultural shift: "I do think that Ozempic has something to do with it because we're seeing a lot of celebrities who are using it, and I think there's this shift in the culture around how we think about our bodies and how we address our bodies."

Her words hint at a deeper societal reckoning with body image and the powerful influence of celebrity culture.

Nnadi and her team at Vogue are committed to showcasing a variety of body types in fashion

Nnadi emphasized the importance of showcasing a variety of body types in fashion, a commitment she and her team actively uphold. "Thinking about the models that we can have in our [photo] shoots is very important," she explained. "And it was very important that we included models who were not sample size."

However, she acknowledged that broader change is a collective effort that extends beyond the magazine's control. "It's not something that we, as a magazine, can change on our own," she noted.

Reflecting on the latest fashion week runways, Nnadi expressed concern over the noticeable lack of body diversity. "I didn't think there was enough representation," she remarked. "And it felt almost like, at certain shows, the models were especially thin."

Despite this, Nnadi remains hopeful that the season serves as a wake-up call for the industry. "Hopefully, the season will be a wake-up call," she said, adding that she looks forward to seeing progress rather than a regression to old, exclusionary standards.

Jesse